"I’ve seen a nasty side to our national character, and seen colleagues and friends pander to it in a way I never thought they would."

He really nails it in this article. It's clear that the 'honorable' Brexiteers (motivated by issues such as the democratic deficit, opposition to Euro-federalism, etc) were disgustingly willing to allow the race card to be placed front and centre in the campaign whilst they kept 'clean hands'. UKIP were the key players in this, but Cameron and other Tory leaders have also revved up racist attitudes to immigration for some years, even New Labour leaders did.

Instead of properly engaging head-on with the subject of immigration and selling it to voters as something both desirable and necessary for Britain's economic prospects, senior politicians have been either cowardly or complicit in serving the agenda of the sort of far right people, ex-Monday Club neo-fascist Tory renegades and ragbag street racists who make up UKIP and part of the Tory Party membership and backbenches.

The result was that the referendum was about immigration and race, not Europe.

Britain is becoming a fascist country and we should be very, very afraid of that.

The brexiter can reasonably argue that such sentiment is the result of too much immigration and not only that, but that quite a fair few immigrants and descendants of recent immigrants voted for brexit. More worryingly even than brexit and whipping up immigration fears is the rise of post truth politics: https://www.theguardian.com/commenti...uth-politician

This is where popular politiians will come out and speak 'common sense' and 'talk straight'- given simplistic answers to often very complicated issues. This has generally been masterminded by people on the libertarian right where Matt Eliot is infamous for pulling numbers out of the air ( £350 million for Brexit - Save £500 Million and keep FPTP IIRC). And people lap it up.

The same is true on the left. Whilst Corbyn is often unfairly and ridiculously demonised by the press, the way certain corbynites behave against those accused of "smearing" the man is exactly how the UKIP folk behave every time the peoples champion gets caught out.

I don't think this countrys going to turn fascist, but i think that people have been tired of boring politics. I think people are going to miss boring politics in the coming years.

At around the time of the Clacton by election, Parris went to visit (to inspect the locals like zoo animals) and produced a nasty, sneering article which basically said the left behinds should be left to rot and die.

The original article is behind a pay wall, but you can see it referenced here.

The result was that the referendum was about immigration and race, not Europe.

Britain is becoming a fascist country and we should be very, very afraid of that.

Ludicrous nonsense. The only fascists are those who don't tolerate open debate, believe in thought and speech crime. Those who are so adept at propagandizing, and so willing to consume it.

Oh, and the EU compels any employer to prioritize a white European, less qualified and not speaking English, over a Black or Asian face from the commonwealth who speaks English. It means we can't even effectively trade or build links with the East. We are the most racially diverse, integrated country(at least just racially, not talking culturally) in the world, (bar maybe Brazil by history) and we have the highest rate of interracial marriage and children.

(Original post by generallee)
At around the time of the Clacton by election, Parris went to visit (to inspect the locals like zoo animals) and produced a nasty, sneering article which basically said the left behinds should be left to rot and die.

The original article is behind a pay wall, but you can see it referenced here.

Looks like the voters of Clacton (and others up and down our land) told Parris where to shove his patronising condescension and patrician contempt.

Up his @rse.

This bit - 'Parris's digs at the fashion choices, pastimes and eating habits of Clacton residents are revealing, showing a prejudice based on class, which presumably would be unacceptable were it based on race, gender equality or sexual orientation'

Class is our byway to total inhumanity, rather than race or sexuality.
Out of interest, Have you noticed how many childless 'feminist' women and homosexuals support the EU and neo-liberalism more generally? I should imagine that that demographic is vastly higher remain than anything London or Scotland could muster. It seems people with a certain spite and perhaps lack of investment in future generations are more likely to think this way.

(Original post by generallee)
At around the time of the Clacton by election, Parris went to visit (to inspect the locals like zoo animals) and produced a nasty, sneering article which basically said the left behinds should be left to rot and die.

The original article is behind a pay wall, but you can see it referenced here.

(Original post by SaucissonSecCy)
Ludicrous nonsense. The only fascists are those who don't tolerate open debate, believe in thought and speech crime. Those who are so adept at propagandizing, and so willing to consume it.

You mean like when we aren't allowed to opine we are better off in the EU because the referendum result went the other way?

You mean like the production and consumption of outright lies as propaganda, like that 350m claim or the scaremongering about Turkey joining?

All I see from Brexit supporters when they make their strident character assassinations is hypocrisy and projection.

(Original post by scrotgrot)
Why are they immune from criticism?
Why are their opinions always right?

The reverse snobbery and schadenfreude I have seen in this campaign is as vile as the racism.

I know, as if the only decent British person can be one who thinks independence is a reactionary bigotry. It is simply the state that China, India, Japan, Canada, the USA, Australia...(I could go on..) take for granted every single day, and would never dream of giving up. They wouldn't call half of their population evil for it, or stupid either. One day we will not be so infiltrated with PC indoctrination, and we will regain a mocidum of sanity.
We will reacquaint ourselves with the concept of the national interest, rather than moronic, dangerous, utopian zealotry and self-abnegation. The nation state is a moral bedrock, we are tribal animals, but that tribe does not have to manifest in a sinister racial way, with all it's unpleasant overtones. It can be patriotic, inclusive and based on the relative success and way of life we create in a hugely difficult world.

As a Brexit voter, I too am appalled by the racist and anti-immigrant views and actions which are now happening. I think it is necessary to note that not all of us voted for Brexit on immigration grounds. For me, that argument had no sway whatsoever - my concerns have always been about sovereignty and nation state democracy and I think that for many Brexit supporters, that hold true.

(Original post by scrotgrot)
Why are they immune from criticism?
Why are their opinions always right?

The reverse snobbery and schadenfreude I have seen in this campaign is as vile as the racism.

I read the piece at the time and remember it well, it is a pity I can't link to a historic record of it as I am not a Times subscriber.

You need to read it to fully appreciate its vile, sneering, snobby, self righteous nastiness. Parris himself later admitted that he had never had so many comments on the website, it was the most commented upon piece he has ever written, he said, with ten times the normal number of comments. Overwhelmingly critical of him.

(Original post by Davij038)
The same is true on the left. Whilst Corbyn is often unfairly and ridiculously demonised by the press, the way certain corbynites behave against those accused of "smearing" the man is exactly how the UKIP folk behave every time the peoples champion gets caught out.

Yes but those corbynites are not in the top levels of leadership. You expect those people to exist everywhere.

"I’ve seen a nasty side to our national character, and seen colleagues and friends pander to it in a way I never thought they would."

He really nails it in this article. It's clear that the 'honorable' Brexiteers (motivated by issues such as the democratic deficit, opposition to Euro-federalism, etc) were disgustingly willing to allow the race card to be placed front and centre in the campaign whilst they kept 'clean hands'. UKIP were the key players in this, but Cameron and other Tory leaders have also revved up racist attitudes to immigration for some years, even New Labour leaders did.

Instead of properly engaging head-on with the subject of immigration and selling it to voters as something both desirable and necessary for Britain's economic prospects, senior politicians have been either cowardly or complicit in serving the agenda of the sort of far right people, ex-Monday Club neo-fascist Tory renegades and ragbag street racists who make up UKIP and part of the Tory Party membership and backbenches.

The result was that the referendum was about immigration and race, not Europe.

Britain is becoming a fascist country and we should be very, very afraid of that.

Do you hate your country and have no faith in it or yourself?

The UK deserves Gods wrath for forsaken its religion, heritage and cultural values. It is those values that we have taken for granted. It is those godly values that allowed a small country like the UK to run and evangelize 90% of the world at one point.

"A house dived amongst it self cannot stand" is ever more a proven trajectory as more and more tyrannical leaders run this country in the floor.

Both UK and USA followed Biblical "Protestant" Christianity and with Gods perfect rule and blessings became the 2 greatest powers ever to exist. They both now on massive decline because they have turned against God, coincidence? I think not.

(Original post by SaucissonSecCy)
I know, as if the only decent British person can be one who thinks independence is a reactionary bigotry. It is simply the state that China, India, Japan, Canada, the USA, Australia...(I could go on..) take for granted every single day, and would never dream of giving up. They wouldn't call half of their population evil for it, or stupid either. One day we will not be so infiltrated with PC indoctrination, and we will regain a mocidum of sanity.
We will reacquaint ourselves with the concept of the national interest, rather than moronic, dangerous, utopian zealotry and self-abnegation. The nation state is a moral bedrock, we are tribal animals, but that tribe does not have to manifest in a sinister racial way, with all it's unpleasant overtones. It can be patriotic, inclusive and based on the relative success and way of life we create in a hugely difficult world.

I do not disagree, but you avoided my quesiton.

Why is nobody allowed to criticise the Leave voters or their opinion - especially not someone of a higher class? Why are the Leave voters necessarily right because they are in the majority and of the correct class?

(Original post by toronto353)
As a Brexit voter, I too am appalled by the racist and anti-immigrant views and actions which are now happening. I think it is necessary to note that not all of us voted for Brexit on immigration grounds. For me, that argument had no sway whatsoever - my concerns have always been about sovereignty and nation state democracy and I think that for many Brexit supporters, that hold true.

It's a bit odd though, how we lived in a utopia devoid of racism one minute, and the next minute race abuse stories are all over mainstream media. They control the narrative, they were heavily remain, and now, with dangerous irresponsibility they are propagandizing and potentially whipping up more instability and racism, all whilst trying to look 'objective'. How could we have changed at a base level by simply being independent? Why didn't they cover such things before?

(Original post by scrotgrot)
I do not disagree, but you avoided my quesiton.

Why is nobody allowed to criticise the Leave voters or their opinion - especially not someone of a higher class? Why are the Leave voters necessarily right because they are in the majority and of the correct class?

I thought you were talking about remain when you said that. They are the establishment, and more the 'right class' of people, by demographics, and it seems only one side has been attacked for their motives and 'stupidity'.